Gollum Gollum Gollum
by Crylywn
Summary: It's my precious, and I wants it back!
1. Chapter 1

_Don't own the characters yadda yadda yadda._

Chapter 1

The forest glowed softly in the bright summer sun, the birds flitted in and out among the trees, and the elves sung songs of their forefathers. The bright light never penetrated the thick foliage of the tree canopy, but yellows and greens passed through the leaves like through a artists lens.

It burnt me, I hated it. The vile eye that hung in the sky, always watching me. My skin writhed as I twisted in my cage. Those swine, those heartless brutes. I screamed and yammered but they never came. They didn't care about me, no- body cares about me, no-body.

I swung helplessly from side to side as the chain dragged along the tree branches overhead. My fiendish captures frolicking in the clearing. Left alone with no food or water. Even in Mordor I had been fed, vile unwashed meat, but it was food, and I was grateful for it. Time was running out as well, there was talk of Orkses on the plains, and the kings would surely not be long behind me. One of the swine broke off from the singing and returned to be, striking me with a sharp whip.

" One more time. We know that they took you, what did you tell them?"

" Please, nooo, filthy elveses." He struck me again, the thread cutting deeply into my skin, and the big eye glowering down upon me. I had pleaded with then to put me in the shade, they delighted in my suffering.

" What did they need from you? Are you on a mission for the Dark Lord?"

" Nooo… I swears it, I serves no-one." The whip came several times then, and I screamed for a long time after the pain subsided, those evil elves.

" Filthy evil elveses, Let me go, I am no harm… to anyone." I look imploringly into his eyes, but his eyes were of steel and heartless to the core. He raised his whip again, but then sagged as I flinched away.

" Why did he want you?"

" He wanted my precious… I do not have her, she is gone."

" Your precious, I find it hard to believe that something as vile as you is capable of loving anything but yourself." Cruel words, how could anyone believe these beasts beautiful?

" My precious was taken from me, some time ago." The elf smiled, I hated it when they smiled, they were always scheming.

" You mean your ring, we have heard the tale of how Bilbo tricked you." I couldn't contain it, he had stolen her from me.

" Filthy tricksy Hobbitses, She was mine, she came to me!" I launched at the cage door and was knocked back again.

" He knows where it is, you told him. Didn't you." I did not want to answer, not to this oaf, I slid back against the rear of my cage, nursing my wounds. Yet the whip found me there. " Didn't you!"

The elveses sent their riders out that day, they were going to send word. They were going to claim my ring, my precious. I knew I had to escape, they would surely kill me when they returned, or the eye would. The big eye was sinking now below the horizon, I would be able to escape without it spying on me. I braced my shoulders against the bars and pushed with my legs. After years of surviving by myself my bones were strong, not wasting anything to pointless fat like the animals that held me. The hinges popped and panged like they had the night before, but this time they lifted and the door sprang free.

I ran, the elveses would know I was loose soon enough and would chase me. I could blend well with the shadows, but with their sharp ears that would not grant me any survival, I only knew I would not go back into that cage.

The Shire was a long journey, and their horses would no doubt have made it first, so I headed towards home, towards the dark places, where the elveses would never follow. The lazy eye shone now in the sky, it was cooler than the other, and I did not mind its presence.

The riders of the Lord might have been on their way, but the Dark Lord knew not of the Hobbitses trickery and would take time to track them down. Maybe I thought I could make the journey without problems, I knew the way well.

Once when I passed the vale of Rivendale, I saw the long walks of the heathens leaving the land, their pale faces reflecting the moonlight for all to see, open to any who would attack them, stupid.

" good riddance." I spat at the ground and wiped the excess saliva from my face, I would not be sorry to see them go. Across the moors to the mountains, and then down into the chambers. The guardian was restless when I returned, it had been a long time since travelers had been its way, and I was too guileful for it to catch.

The darkness enveloped me like a warm blanket, my eyes making full use of the light given from the algae and other plants which grew in the dark. Elf eyes could not find me here, I would be safe in the darkness, and there would be fish. Fish, yes, after a long journey and all my suffering. I dived neatly into the waters, I was home.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

My home had not changed from when I had left it in search of the Shire, the goblins still provided a long term meal when fish was sparse. It was often the case that fish was sparse, with the guardian taking more than it's fair share of my food stock. Yet when they were caught, they were the most succulent fish in middle earth.

My island lay deep inside the catacombs, and far away from the goblin's travel routes. It was too close to the big one for them, the one who resembled the eye in the sky. Yet I was too swift and sly even for it, driven only by it's rage and a thirst for violence, I moved on my wits and cunning.

Even the Goblins were smart enough to stay away from it, those spineless creatures running for cover at the first sign of anything which could present a problem. I had a box there where I slept, on top of my island, surrounded by water in which the goblins would not dare to enter. They feared the waters in the dark, it was my island.

It was here where Bilbo stole my precious, it was over there that he tricked me with his riddles. It wasn't even a riddle, filthy cheating hobbitses. He stole her and escaped me. He used the goblins for protection, I could not have gotten through so many without my precious, they would see me. Too many there were for me to follow. Too many by far.

So I bided my time, listening to the rumours that came back to me over the months and years. It was through those rumours that I learned that Bilbo had returned to the Shire, and had hidden the ring with him. So I searched, but the Shire was hard to find, down unfamiliar paths to me. It took me past the elveses, something that I had long ago tried to avoid. But I found it, I found the Shire, I was but a few days away from it when the elveses caught me. Tortured me, tormented me beneath the big eye.

Days would pass in the dark underground now, listening to rumours, hearing the news that traveled between the half breeds up above. The goblins would fight, the big one would feed above, the guardian would feed below, and I would bide again.

Then the news came that there were nine peoples on the way from Rivendell, and that the Grey wizard would be leading them. I knew of the Grey wizard, even the dark eye of Mordor watched for him, for he was said to possess great power. There was only one reason why he would be with such a group, they had the ring.

They had my ring. They had my ring and they were coming my way. They could not survive the mountain pass, they would come to me, she would be mine again. I cried with delight and had to run as a goblin party heard my revelry. They would surely come to me, and get lost in the ever deepening depths of the catacombs. I knew because there were depths even deeper than those that I would dare to wander, deeper than the big one was ever seen or heard from. Caverns that the dwarves who had once made Moria their home, had never wandered.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Days passed by again, and I began to think that perhaps they had found another route, my patience grew thin and more often than needed I drew the attention of the goblins.

" Where is it? Why do they not come? Gollum, Gollum, Gollum."

Yet I had no answer to offer, and my rest was getting interrupted now with many a noise. I wandered the Western face, leaving my island behind me. If they were to come, it would be from the west, and their eyes would be dark in the night of my homeland. The west wall ran for many miles though, almost a full days stride from one end to the next, and food was scarcer there than on the eastern wall. Goblin parties stayed in the grand halls of the old king, while the western mines fell deeper into disrepair.

Yet even with my vigilance it was not I, but the guardian who heard their approach first. It left through the lower chambers out into the moorland, rising up into the entrance pool as they opened the gate at the main road. I moved quickly towards them with no dangers left in my path, and saw them as the doors were pulled shut behind them.

The Grey one, the one that was known to me, lit a light from his staff. The light was powerful in the dark, and I cringed at first, but I did not give myself away. There was another that I knew, the ranger. The one that had caught me not long ago, caught me and delivered me to the wood elveses. He was strong, and well proven at tracking.

There was a short dwarf, and an elf. There was a man from the east, bold and arrogant in his stance. I could already see the hunger in his eyes, I saw from him which of the remaining four held the ring. Wearing the ring, around his neck was a hobbit.

The ring did not wish for that, the ring wanted to be worn. I felt my lips and nose curl at the sight of it. She needed me, she needed my hand to carry her. Such disrespectful hobbitses. I would take my precious back from them while they slept. In the dark of my homeland, they would not see the eastern wall. Yet for now there was too many of them, too many others to protect him.

I slipped back into the water, they would travel slowly through my realm, and the guardian was hurt, it would not follow. I tracked them for the next few days, but there would always be a guard, and so I dared not come closer. Once I saw the ring-bearer look in my direction, I had been careless. My wet skin dripped water into the pool beneath me, echoing louder than it should have in the cavernous depths.

" What is that?" I heard him asking the grey one.

" That is Gollum. He once held the ring that you bear now, it devoured him completely."

" What a pity that Bilbo did not stab the vile creature when he had the chance."

So that was hobbitses for you. All of them were the same, wicked cruel creatures. Cruel and tricksome. I had heard their riddles and rhymes on their trek, while they whispered quietly to each other in the dark. I knew that this one must have been of Bilbo's side. Who else would hold the ring after he left? He had probably stolen it like his father, well it served his father right. Surely no person could give up such a prize, Bilbo had probably been killed for it.

" Vile creature." How dare they. The two spoke on, I could still hear parts of what they said.

" Pity? … Pity and mercy… Strike without need…. Be sure… hurt… evil…" It was the grey one again, the wall behind which I had moved muffled his voice, but he was surely instructing the hobbit in more trickery, and violence. I risked moving round the rock again so I could hear the rest of what was said of me.

" I do not pity Gollum." The hobbit said this with solemn finality, he intended to hurt me when given the chance, what a wicked animal.

I left the group then, I knew which road they would eventually chose, the grey one knew the tunnels to well. Down into the lower depths I went, I did not have long, I needed to call the big one. He would be strong enough to challenge him. With the guards dead, the ring would be mine. My precious, mine. He would have no use for something so small, yet I would love my precious as she deserved.

I found him in easily, I knew his routes well. He would not be reasoned with, he knew only fury, and hate. It was only fitting that he should kill the others. I led him, casting stones against the walls, making noises that he could hear, and he followed. I had climbed many heads up the chambers when I heard the clang.

The noises echoed around the halls like a thunder clap. The big one surged forward faster than I expected, I barely had time to hide within the walls shadows. Huge and frightening shaped loomed as he ran upwards towards the pass. The goblin drums began.

It was still too dangerous to fight, I climbed the walls upwards faster than the big one could ramble. I heard the battle, but the goblins were in full force, and without my precious they would have seen me. The group ran towards the pass, I heard the big one coming. Now I would see the grey one suffer, suffer as he had made me. I knew that he had chased me, hunted me. Poor Gollum.

" Soon my precious, yes."

I saw the fight, I watched him fall to his death. Then I followed, but the ran fast, ever upwards. The orc guards at the gate fled before the Ranger, and they broke out into Dimrill Dale. The angry eye shone high in the sky, I feared it, and knew the goblins would search for their escaped prey when they were sure of the big ones demise. They would go to Lothlorien for the safety of the elveses. Under nights shadow I followed them from the north, leaving the mountains only when I had no choice towards the river. They would eventually cross the river.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

So it was at nightfall that I set out over the Drimrill Dales away from where the goblin parties would hunt. The pale eye was out again, and on the open terrain there were few shadows with which to blend my steps. So it was with great haste that I made progress towards the Anduin, the great water that divided the lands of man and elf.

The eyes of others were upon the terrain, I could feel the presence of the White one, looking for me. How he would love to get his hands on me and find my secrets, but I would not let him. His spies were everywhere.

The dales were a mixed blessing perhaps, food was abundant and easily snared. I had my fill by the waters that night, feasting on fresh badger and succulent fishies. Fresh from the bone they were, the crimson blood sprayed against my face, the bones snapped in my strong grasp.

The next day I headed down river, but I would not stay on the west bank where raiding parties searched, or where Lothlorien would loom over the river's flow. I choose a good log, and taking a sharp stone I cored out the inside. I left one section of the edge unbroken, hollowing in and around it, leaving a long shelf for myself.

The bright eye was in the sky before I shoved from the shore. I would swim using my vessel for protection, occasionally risking detection only to scout my progress. When I tired of swimming, I would climb into my boat and lay in the shadow of it's helm, drifting downstream whilst the waters lapped at its sides.

I liked the waters. The waters had been a friend to me since I was young, and even in Moria I had them for companionship. It was in the river that I found my precious, the most joyous day of my life. Yet that was the beginning of the treachery.

It had been my birthday, I had honored the traditions of my ancestors and given out gifts to all my friends, so that they could celebrate with me. Friends, pah! My so called friends. We had food fresh from the land and streams, enough to feed all present, and then me and one of the others left to swim in the river.

We were all such good swimmers, not like the other hobbitses, because that was what I was at the time. We swam and played in the cool waters that summer, the eye in the sky did not hurt so badly then. I needed to rest, and lay on the soft peat of the riverbed.

My friend cried out that he had seen something at the bottom of the water, something shiny. I sat upright asking him what it was and he dived for it. When he returned he held his hand tight. He claimed that it was nothing, that he had just seen a fish catching the light, but I knew.

" Show me what it is, precious." Precious, he was my best friend and I called him that, I trusted him, yet he was a deciever.

" I told you it was nothing." I slid my hand over the back of his, I could feel the irregular bump beneath his grasp.

" Please show me. Please my precious." He opened his had and there was a ring. It was untarnished from the riverbed and so must have been made of gold. It looked light and were it not for the material, invaluable. I had given him a fine vest that I had made myself only the week before, he wore it that very day, I had received nothing as was tradition. I deserved something, it was my birthday after all.

" Give it to me please my precious, it is my birthday."

" No, I found it, find your own." I could hear it now, calling out to me. It wanted to be found, and it wanted me to have it. It would be smeagol's present.

" I haven't had a gift today, I wants it." Yet he refused me and pushed me away. He wanted it for himself, selfish hobbit. I would not allow it, I took a stone and hit him. I made him give it to me. I never meant to kill him, he should have shared, he should have been gracious to me on my birthday.

I threw his body into the river, then watched as he drifted down stream. The ring that he had was heavier than it looked, but so beautiful. It would be my new precious, and I wore it. The world changed, new colours passed before my eyes. I headed back towards the village where people passed by me without noticing. Smeagol was thirsty and drank from the fount, yet someone saw me and cried out. I removed the ring, I had been invisible and not known it. The people were fearful of me, afraid of my new power. Yet they were my friends and loved Sméagol.

I was foolish to believe that. People talked behind my back, plotted against me. I was accused of crimes I did not commit, things going missing, livestock dead, just blame Sméagol. Poor Smeagol Gollum Gollum. They said I used my precious to do things I didn't do, would not believe me. They said bad Smeagol, naughty Smeagol. They were not friends, their jealousy would not accept my gift. So they banished me.

That all happened a long time ago, and since then me and my precious had grown close. Till one day when that thieving Bagginses stole her from me. Now I was close to the Lothlorien. I drifted past it, pulling to shore after I reached its far banks. They would come this way, I would not venture in to where the elveses dwelled, not again.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

They came down the river in elvish crafts, sleek and silent in the water. Yet the skills of the rowers made much more noise than the boats, and they talked freely among themselves. Foolish hobbitses, so I heard them from within my boat.

I heard them and I followed, keeping my distance and moving back and forth mimicking the currents. The ring was still with them, I could hear her calling to me, begging me to rescue her still. Yet I dared not, not yet. The tall men were still with them, the ranger who caught me near the Shire.

Sometimes I dared to look at their progress, and it was possible that the elf had seen me. Yet I was quick in the river, and there was no risk of me been in danger. The boat was still thick in the bark, and would absorb any arrows, I could out swim any of the group.

At night they docked, afraid to travel without the protection of the big eye to watch over them. That was a mistake yes? I allowed my boat to drift towards their bank, shouldering it gently against the reeds with hardly a sound. Everyone was asleep, stupid peoples. I heard their steady breathing as I scouted their camp, at first not risking to get too close.

The fat hobbit was it seemed a light sleeper. He had been left on watch and could barely stay away. Silly fat lazy hobbit. So I returned to my boat, silent as an otter into the mud banks. Later than that he woke his companion, the one with my precious. He could not stay awake any longer, and soon snored loudly. The ring bearer now lay in the dark, watching the edge of the waters, but I was near him, I could already taste his breath.

Out of the waters I snuck, up between their elvish floats. He did not see me, I could hear her calling me. The ground was soft from the water and cushioned my footfall, my shadow almost gone in the darkness of the night. Yet he heard the ring too, he drew sting, the sword that Bilbo stole also from my cave. I splashed quickly into the water and ferried my boat out across the wake.

Imbeciles, I almost had her in my arms again. My precious, my pretty. Yet I saw on that night something that the others did not see. Sting bore a dull glow, bright enough for only a child of the darkness to notice. Orcses were approaching, I would have to watch from a distance.

The next day as the afternoon was ending they reached the falls, they could go no further by boat without disembarking and walking the treacherous hike towards the bottom. The man of the east had grown restless over the journey, I could see the longing in his eyes. I knew that longing, it was a longing that many shared yet few understood. He wanted my precious for himself.

So he excused himself to follow the hobbit, and planned to claim it by force. The hobbit heard the ring and wore her. He vanished as the orcses arrived and ran downward towards the boats. I followed him, I heard his footfalls clean and crisp in the leaves on the ground. I saw the splashes as he shoved the boat from port and set out again. The man from the east could die or he could live, it was of no concern to me.

I slipped glibly back into the waters and sidled beneath his kayak while he focused on distancing himself from the plank. I was going to get my precious back, I was going to have her once again for my own. She was now only a few inches from me. I had heard that the western hobbits could not swim, I would tip his boat when the water was deep. I would hold him down till the bubbles stopped breaking the surface. Yet the fat one came too and ruined it. I waited beneath the boat as he waded into the ebb and flow, and tipped the boat as he reached it, swimming away to the far bank with the confusion. The would cross the river safely, alone without their guards, the ring would be mine yet.

" Yes my precious. Gollum, Gollum, Gollum.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

So it came to pass that the fellowship was split in twain. The one with the ring went east, over the steep slopes of the Emyn Muil, whilst the rest headed westward into the open plains of Rohan.

I climbed high at first, away from where orcs might follow, up above where the two little ones climbed. Little ones like how I used to be, and weak with their heavy burdens. I traveled light, and moved easily between the crags, it was like a second home, I found some consolation it that after my long trek from Moria.

I would stop from time to time to view on their progress. Their footfalls unsteady on the gravel paths, what looked like paths. The Emyn Muil was an inhospitable rock. Little water flowed down it and the walls were barren. The hobbitses ate from their pouches though, not planning for the future ahead. The food that they had would not last them far past the hills, if they ever made it that far.

I had planned well, he had eaten good from the Enduin, he was strong and his senses we keen. On the first night they camped down close to an overhang. It was a mild evening, but a channel between two peaks made a perpetually windy passage. They both slept lightly that night, the cold on their backs often disturbing their slumber.

I could have taken my precious then, I could here her calling to me. I made no sound as my feet landed on the earth, and sidled close to the wall so as to hide the noise of the wind breaking around me. I came from downwind, I could smell their skin, I could taste their worried minds.

I was not more than five strides from them when I stepped on a leaf. One that they had wrapped their food in. It crunched under my foot, causing them both to waken. I climbed fast away along the cliff face, they could not follow me in the dark.

For the next two days they moved with even less abandonment, and although I tried to get ahead of them and lay traps, they would often turn back from the route they had taken and go down separate paths. Sometimes I would lose their ways, but would eventually spot the tell tale swirls in the dust which showed me their footfalls.

Yet they were vigilant at night now, expecting me to attack them at any moment. I was not doing anything wrong, I wanted back that which was mine, that which they stole from me. They were the thieves, yet they were arrogant in their speech. They would talk bad about poor Sméagol, Gollum, Gollum. They would say hurtful things about me.

I was running out of time though, their paths would lead out onto the Dead Marshes, and they would not survive. The ring would be lost at the bottom with the shining ones. I would not risk it, for it would claim my life before I found her again. My precious did not want that, she wanted to be worn.

On the third evening it stormed against the mountains and the stars were blacked out from the sky. I had lost them again, the rain washed away any tracks or scent, and the sounds of thunder dimmed any noises other to even my sharp hearing. Once I thought I heard cries for help, but they were faint and the wind whistling around me prevented me from gleaning any sense of direction from them. It was hours later when the storm was abating that I saw them again.

A silver line unrolled along a wall on the peak I had just passed. It shimmered in an unearthly manner. I knew elf tricks when I saw them, the users had come from Lothlorien, I doubled back and made haste. The length of the cord dropped eighteen fathoms, there was no other way down than to scale the drop. I reached the rope in good time, and even though it hurt me, I untied the end. It was too easy, they would fall with the rope loose, and then I would climb down and get my precious.

True enough, almost as soon as I had undone the knot, it shot out over the edge. The hobbitses must have rested on a ridge before moving again, and without the top tied had surely plunged the rest of their way to their deaths. We, serves them right, they should not have been cruel to me.

The pale eye had come out again, but the walls were still too wet. I waited, listening to the drips of water forming the new stalactites of the future. When I deemed it safe enough I started my decent, my keen eyes seeing what others could not. My feet would slip sometimes and I traced the rippled outlines of the wall.

" Ach, sss! Cautious, my precious! More haste less speed. We musstn't rissk our neck, musst we, precious? No, precious - Gollum!" I could feel the pale eye watching me as I climbed, judging me for things I had not done.

" We hate it, Nassty, nasty shivery light it is - sss - it spies on us, precious - it hurts our eyes." It would not be long before I was at the bottom. I should have been able to make out the corpses but they were not there. I smelt the air, they had come this way, I was sure of it.

" Where iss it, where iss it: my precious, my precious? It's ours, it is, and we wants it. The thieves, the thieves, the filthy little thieves. Where are they my precious? Curse them! We hates them."

Then I reached a place that I could climb down no further. The rock wall along which I had followed, cut inwards so that. From the ground it would have been a ceiling beneath the cliff. I cursed and turned so that I could swing my legs under it.

My fingers came loose as I swung and I fell, tucking my limbs inwards to protect myself from sprains when I landed. I hit the ground with a heavily thump, and it would have gone badly for me if I had not held my head tightly inwards, because the whiplash would surely have broken my neck.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I had barely recovered when the fat one attacked me. I had done nothing to him, why did he attack us my precious? Yet I was strong, I wrapped around him and thrust his swollen face into the ground. He hit me with his head, one last time so I bit his shoulder, tightening my grip around his arms, all I had to do now was find his neck.

"Let go! Gollum." The other, the one that had my precious. He had a sword, he held it to my throat and pulled my hair back so I was looking directly into the pale eye. I hated it, why does they torture is? Why does everyone hurt poor Sméagol? Gollum, Gollum.

" This is Sting. You have seen it before once upon a time. Let go, or you'll feel it this time! I'll cut your throat." I could hear the malice in his voice, he would kill me without thinking. I let go of the fat one and rolled over in what I hoped was a supplicant manner. The eye watched as they loomed over me.

" Don't hurt us! Don't let them hurt us, precious! They won't hurt us will they, nice little hobbitses? We didn't mean no harm, but they jumps on us like cats on poor mices, they did, precious. And we're so lonely, Gollum. We'll be nice to them, very nice, if they'll be nice to us, won't we, yes, yess." They were just like the people from my village. I had done nothing to them and yet they were ready to kill me. The fat one showed no mercy in his stance, but the ring spoke to the bearer. My precious protected me.

" Well, what's to be done with it?" The round one, the nasty one. " Tie it up, so as it can't come sneaking after us no more, I say." Tie us up, with what? The elvish rope, I remembered how it burnt when I untied it at the top of my climb. I still felt it sore on my fingertips. I would not be bound like that, even the Ranger had not been so cruel.

" But that would kill us, kill us," I pleaded. " Cruel little hobbitses. Tie us up in the cold hard lands and leave us, gollum, gollum." It could well have been true, if not then it would certainly feel like a reprieve to die with the pain of it. Yet hobbitses hearts were unkind. Only caring for those who would support them, what compassion is there in that?

" No," said Frodo. " If we kill him, we must kill him outright. But we can't do that, not as things are. Poor wretch! He has done us no harm." True, true. The little one was wise, the ring, my precious. She convinced him to be kind, to see past the others prejudice.

" Oh hasn't he!" The round one rubbed his bleeding shoulder. " Anyway he meant to, and he means to, I'll warrant. Throttle us in our sleep, that's his plan."

" I daresay," said the little one. " But what he means to do is another matter." I could see now that I might yet live, I sniffled the last of my tears back. The little one was thinking, listening to precious. Eventually he lowered his sword.

" Very well, but still I am afraid. And yet, as you see, I will not touch the creature. For now that I see him, I do pity him."

I would live, my precious saved me. The fat one was angry, but would not defy his master.

" Yess, wretched we are, precious. Misery misery! Hobbits won't kill us, nice hobbits."

" No we won't. But we won't let you go, either. You're full of wickedness and mischief, Gollum. You will have to come with us, if you can. One good turn deserves another."

" Yess, yes indeed." All I had to do was agree, I could follow them till it was safe to take precious. Why would they think me untrustful and wicked my precious? I need only for what is mine, what belongs to me. " Nice hobbits! We will come with them. Find safe paths in the dark, yes we will. And where are they going in these cold hard lands, we wonders, yes we wonders?"

" You know that, or you guess well enough, Sméagol," So he knew my name. " We are going to Mordor, of course. And you know the way there I believe."

" Ach! Sss! We guessed, yes we guessed, and we didn't want them to go, did we? No, precious, not the nice hobbits. Ashes, ashes, and dust, and thirst there is; and pits, pits, and orcs, thousands of Orcses. Nice hobbits mustn't go to - sss - those places." I mustn't go either, they knew me there. I had escaped only after much suffering the last time, and it was true that there was seldom enough water to drink without drawing the orc's attentions.

" So you have been there? And you're being drawn back there, aren't you?" No, I was following the ring, I did not wish to see Mordor again in my days.

" Yess. Yess. No! Once, by accident it was, wasn't it, precious? Yes, by accident. But we won't go back, no, no!" I could feel my pain tearing at me for just the thought of it. I could kill them now I thought, yet I also thought that they had shown mercy, no-one had shown mercy to me since my childhood. Since I was Smeagol, and hunted down furrows in the woods.

I could feel my pain tearing out off me, and my pain I had given a name. Gollum, that was the name they had called me when I left my village,. When my life became darker, because of their hate.

" Leave me alone, Gollum! You hurt me. O my poor hands, Gollum! I, we, I don't want to come back. I can't find it. I am tired. I, we can't find it. Gollum, Gollum, no, nowhere." I fought with my pain, but it wanted me to kill.

" They're always awake. Dwarves, Men, and Elves, terrible Elves with bright eyes. I can't find it. Ach!" I felt more pain, from the outside of my body. The hobbitses were watching with alarm. I felt Sauron's eye, he was calling me, I thought it was my precious, but he wanted me to bring it to him. I could not see it before, why could we not see it before?

" We won't! Not for you. Gollum, Gollum. Don't look at us! Go away! Go to sleep!"

" He will not go away of go to sleep at your command, Smeagol. But if you really wish to be free of him again, then you must help me. And that I fear means finding us a path towards him. But you need not go all the way, not beyond the gates of his land. The little one could sense him too, that was why he was going there. But he was strong, his mind still his own.

So I agreed to lead them towards the Black Gates. I would help them as best I could, and I would perhaps, not take precious just yet. I could still feel my desires, but were they my own or his? I feared him now more than ever, for I knew that he was trying to get inside of me. I would keep the ring safe from him, I would find a way to keep him from me. Then my precious would be mine.

The round one insisted that they tied me though, even after the little one had promised kindness. He said I would call the orcses, he said they were my friends. He tied my ankle, it burned worse than any fire Sauron could conjure. I screamed and flailed in anguish.

" It hurts us, it hurts us. It freezes, it bites! Elves twisted it, curse them!" Nasty cruel hobbits! That's why we tries to escape, of course it is, precious. We guessed they were cruel hobbits. They visits Elves, fierce Elves with bright eyes. Take it off us! It hurts us."

" No, I willnot take it off you. Not unless there is any promise you can make that I can trust." The little one had paused as he said it. My precious was guiding him, I could almost hear her words to him. I knew that I would do anything to stop this pain, the heartless fat one glowered at me.

" We will swear to do what he wants, yes, yess." The pain was excruciating, I claws at the wretched thing but it was too tight. " It hurts us."

" Swear?" The Gollum part of me spat in disgust at my weakness.

" They have tamed you." It taunted me, but I was strong still, I chose, I was not forced. The young part of me, the part that I had suppressed for years to survive, it found a way to end the suffering.

" Smeagol. Smeagol will swear on the Precious." This angered the fat one, he rose to hit me.

" On the Precious? How dare you? Think! _One Ring to rule them all and in the Darkness bind them. _Would you commit your promise to that Smeagol? It will hold you. But it is more treacherous than you are. It may twist your words. Beware!" Such loothing, and such lack of understanding. He had not worn her like the other one, how could he know anything about her? His hand was still raised and I cowered back hoping for mercy. It burnt hot and cold.

" On the Precious, on the Precious!"

" And what would you swear?" The small one pulled his servant back, oh please just take the pain away.

" To be very very good. Smeagol will swear never, never, to let Him have it. Never! Smeagol will save it. But he must swear on the Precious." It was the only true and faithful thing I had ever known, what else would he have me swear on?

" No! not on it. All you wish is to see it and touch it, if you can, though you know it would drive you mad. Not on it. Swear by it, if you will. For you know where it is. Yes, you know, Smeagol. It is before you." I all wanted was to be sure she was safe, why would he not show her to me? Why did he not trust me so, they not trust me so? Why were all hobbitses so disdainful of Smeagol? I touched his robes, silently petitioning his mercy one last time. He kicked me off, the pain, the pain was surrounding me.

" Down! Down! Now speak your promise!"

" We promises, yes I promise!" Because now I had control of myself, the Smeagol had control of myself, Gollum had turned in disgust. " I will serve the master of the Precious. Good master, good Smeagol, Gollum Gollum!" With nothing else to offer I wept.

" Take the rope off, Sam!"

The one called Sam did masters bidding, yet he handled me roughly in order to gain just one extra point. As soon as I was free I danced out of range of the fat one, using my master as protection. Yet I was now free of three things, not just the elvish bonds, but of Sauron, and of the pain inside me, of Gollum. I was Sméagol. I served my master well, guiding the paths over the terrain, laughing at master's jokes and riddles. While the fat one complained and ate the food, while his master struggled on his feet.

Please review, why has only one reviewed we wonders, yess, we wonders.

I led them into the Dead Marshes, there was no safe way through, but I led them where the orcses would not wander. The pale eye had decended behind the mountains, and it was dark. But my eyes shone as I guided my master, yes, good Smeagol.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

So I led them over the barren landscape, away from the foothills of the Emyn Muil. They struggled as the ran to keep up with me. Many times I had to wait for them. Soon though we reached a stream that had sprung out of the ground. I rejoiced in it after all the days and nights in the dead mountains.

" The cold hard lands

They bites our hands,

they gnaws our feet.

The rocks and stones

Are like old bones

All bare of meat.

But stream and pool

Is wet and cool:

So nice for feet!

And now we wish-------"

Yet what did I wish? I looked at the hobbits but they could not answer. Bilbo had guessed it, when he had been in the caves.

" Alive without breath;

As cold as death;

Never thirsting, ever drinking;

Clad in mail, never clinking.

Drowns on dry land,

Thinks an island

Is a mountain;

thinks a fountain

Is a puff of air.

So sleek, so fair!

What a joy to meet!

We only wish

to catch a fish,

so juicy-sweet!"

The round one watched me disapprovingly. Surely he would not begrudge me such a simple pleasure. The last threads of night were coming to an end. In a little while the yellow eye would appear.

" Day is near, Smeagol will stay here, and the yellow face won't see me."

" We should be glad to see the sun, but we will stay here: we are too tired to go further at present." And with that my master settled his bag on the ground.

" You are not wise to be glad of the yellow face. It shows you up. Nice sensible hobbits stay with Smeagol. Orcs and nasty things are about. They can see a long way. Stay and hide with me!"

The fat one grew hungry, he took food from his bag. He would eat it all and let his master starve. They offered me some, yet I could smell the scent of the elves country on it. I would sooner starve than risk my life to that bread. I scratched at my face to remove it's odor. I would waste away to serve my master, I was a good servant. The fat one leered at me, hating me for my loyalty. I overheard him whispering to master, telling lies about me. I was hungry, and tired, I would sleep past the day, let the round one watch me if he pleased.

I woke shortly after sundown, my stomach growling from it's lack of food. The two hobbits lay sleeping in the gully. Gollum told me it would have been an easy task to take my precious. I had promised I told him. I shoved him back from me. I walked by them on my way to the stream, and drank deeply. Then I scouted the terrain from what little vantage the rocks could provide.

The round one woke with fright. I suppose I had knocked a stone over the ledge. I could hear him waking master, telling master that I had left them, not true. I lowered my head down to them, I said I would be back. In the distance I had seen the soft mud, there would be food by the stream there.

Away I went with as much haste as I could make. The journey would be hard and we needed to make good time. There was nothing but mud, there would be no fish in this stream. I rapped on the ground, dancing around as I did, Smeagol knew what to do. The sounds scared the little beasties, they came towards the surface. It was not what I hoped for, but it was food and I ate it.

When I returned to my master I washed in the stream. They had packed and were waiting for me when I got there.

" Better now. Are we rested? Ready to go on? Nice hobbits, they sleep beautifully. Trust Smeagol now? Very, very good."

I was glad that we had rested there and not further down our path. Soon the walls of the gully thinned to nothing, leaving us totally open to the keen eyes of the Orcs. The ground broke free of the feet of the mountains, leaving the soft peaty soil of the fens ahead. Mordor could be seen in the distance, but the eyes attention had left me to search elsewhere. I felt my spirits lifted from the idea of it.

The hobbits still distrusted me though, and questioned the route. They wished for safer passage towards the black gates. Of course I knew there was no safer passage. I had tried, months before to cross along the straight road and was caught. That was how he found out about the ring. When I escaped I came back through the marshes, although they were trickier to navigate. His Orcs were afraid of the pools, and would not follow me. I recounted a small part of this to master and they agreed to trust me through the fog.

The fog was a blessing to me as it hid me from the spying yellow eye. I led them carefully into the northern part of the Dead Marshes. It would mean three more days at least with no real food to sustain me. Yet I was a good servant, I did not complain to master. The fat one complained; he complained about the fog, the snakes, the beetles, but mainly about me.

Sometimes I would stop them and scout up ahead, the mists making it far more difficult for me to find any scents. When we would rest I insisted that we hid behind reeds, for even here there could be danger on the move. Master was tired, his feet stumbled in the undulating mounds.

On the third day we entered the lit passages. I call them that because of the lights. They dwell in the pools, calling to the unwary. I am too cleaver for them, I know only to well what happens to the foolish. The fat one questioned me about them, how can it be that one will doubt even their own eyes? Silly hobbit indeed he is.

" Where's the master?" He had wandered away while the fat one dreamed of steak and gammon. I had been scouting our course, he was a bad servant for master.

The little one was watching the lights, but we pulled him back. This was where the great battle took place, long before my time. It was here that the Dark Lord originally lost his ring, and his power. Within the waters lay the dead bodies of Elves, Humans, and Orcs alike. Deep down in the depths, whilst the marshes grew ever upwards around them.

The last time I was here I had dived towards one. As good a swimmer as I am I failed, the face moving evermore away as I sank. Finally I had to reach the surface, and not realizing how far I had dived, almost drowned. It was Gollum's idea, he had told me to eat the dead. Eat the dead so that the living might go on.

When we had crossed the marshes I harried the two hobbits away from the plains and towards the mountains. I could sense the eye's focus was returning towards me. It's focus of previous occupation losing its appeal. It would try to find me now, not knowing what I would risk to avoid it's sight. We made good time up the hills of the Udun now that the ground was firmer underfoot.

Then the skies shifted and I hid against what little shelter I could find. The fogs over the marshes lifted and the pale face scanned them. I trembled involuntarily as a Wraith flew over us, sculling the air lazily. They projected fear, I could see it on my companions faces too. It circled the fens and returned back the way it had come, leaving us unseen. I would not travel further that day.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

So we had come past the Dead Marshes and onto the slopes of Mordor. The eye of the Dark Lord must have known that I had passed this way. I could feel the burden again of Gollum, for fear of the Dark Lord had made him stronger.

" It is not safe my precious, we must flee this place. Remember you what happened the last time we came here?" Gollum spoke to me one night while the two were sleeping. I was smart to him though, I knew my7 place.

" We must serve the master. He listens to the precious, I have seen him. He will do what the precious wants." I could feel the hatred of Gollum and heard the hissing from between our teeth. " We protects the precious from him. He must not have it."

" Yes, but if we stray closer he will find us. He will take the precious. We should… protect the precious ourselves yesss?" I felt my hand moving over the dirt towards the little one, I pulled it back.

" But Smeagol said he would be very very good. Nice hobbit! He took cruel rope off Smeagol's leg. He speaks nicely to me."

" Very very good, eh, my precious? Let's be good, good as fish, sweet one, but to ourselfs. Not hurt the nice hobbit, of course, no, no." I could have taken it and slid away. He would not have been able to follow me back the way we had come. The Dark Lord would hesitate to send his orcses that way. I had swore though, I would not break my word.

" But the Precious holds the promise."

" Then take it, and let's hold it ourselfs! Then we shall be master, Gollum! Make the other hobbit, the nasty suspicious hobbit, make him crawl, yes, Gollum!" I looked back at the fat one, I did despise the wretch. Always watching me, after everything I went through to keep him safe.

" But not the nice hobbit?"

" Oh no, not if it doesn't please us. Still he's a Baggins, my precious, yes, a Baggins. A Baggins stole it. He found it and he said nothing, nothing. We hates Bagginses." Yet I did not share Gollum's feelings. This one was kind and gentle with me, he was honest from the start. I would not betray the promise of something so long ago.

" No, not this Baggins."

" Yes, every Baggins. All peoples that keep the Precious. We must have it!" I knew now that Gollum's fear had changed back to hunger, one that could not be fed with fish alone. How I missed fish, it had been a long journey since the mines.

" But he'll see us, He'll know. He'll take it from us!"

So I would argue with Gollum each night whilst the hobbits slept their sweet dreams. He would not argue during the day, he was afraid of Sting.

On one evening master instructed me to lead them to the Black Gate. I knew that orcses would be guarding it, how would I protect the precious then. I was good and faithful though, and led diligently over the western hillsides. I watched the skies though, and when three times I saw the shade of the Wraiths, I fell. Three times meant that his shadow riders knew of our coming. Gollum would not permit me another step.

Then master forced us, he pulled on the Sting, and Gollum hissed through my lips. Then we scurried onwards, penned in from both sides. I know of the wall and of the gate. It would be guarded heavily, and would not be penetratable. I told master this but he would not listen. So we reached the black gate and he saw for himself. Saw the impossibility of the task ahead. Then he believed Smeagol.

Believed, and yet still he refused to return to the safe places. Refused to give the Precious to Smeagol for his service. Had I not been a good guide for him? I had kept the precious safe had I not? He told me he wanted behind the gate, and so I told him of another way.

_Authors notes: A lot of the conversations in the last few chapters have been air lifted directly from the master. While this is indeed inevitable, the thoughts behind Smeagol's words are my own conjecture. Please review._


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